U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Zack Steffen became the latest player to note the difference in training sessions under Mauricio Pochettino, who is leading his first camp after officially being named the new head coach last month.
Steffen is back with the national team for the first time since March 2022 under Gregg Berhalter, and the introduction of a new head coach means the differences between the goalkeeper’s last USMNT outing and this one were going to be magnified. Steffen, though, notes that Pochettino is not just different from Berhalter – he’s different from any coach he’s had so far.
“I’d say the biggest surprise has been that keeper training has been different than anything that I’ve had in the past and it’s all good,” the former Manchester City goalkeeper said Thursday on CBS Sports Golazo Network‘s Morning Footy. “It’s tough, it’s different but it’s all different tools that I can keep in my toolshed for games and trainings.”
Steffen’s comments are in line with his USMNT colleagues, several of whom say Pochettino leads a more intense training session.
“We had a pretty long session, I’d say one of the longer ones we’ve had with the national team setup so just working on basics, looked at a few things from [Monday’s] training and reviewed that,” veteran defender Tim Ream said in a press conference on Tuesday. “As a result, they worked in some movement things and connection things with the back line and the midfielders, the attackers all went together and worked on a few things. Just really getting their ideas into our heads and into our understanding to make sure we’re all on the same page going forward.”
Pochettino, who works alongside goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez, has spent much of his first camp having one-on-one meetings with players, and Steffen said his conversation with the new head coach involved some tactical specifics.
“We had a good meeting yesterday, we had a good meeting the first day,” Steffen said. “Just about the No. 1 goal is to save shots, defend the goal and if we can play out, then we play out but there’s no need to force it but ultimately, our job is to keep the ball out of the back of the net.”
Though Pochettino is working with a roster full of familiar faces for his first camp, the Argentine’s hire could shake up the wider USMNT player pool. That includes in the goalkeeper position, where Steffen was once first choice but was unseated by Matt Turner ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Turner remained Berhalter’s pick for the rest of his tenure as the head coach, but a string of unimpressive performances and his lack of playing time at the club level means the position is an area of focus as Pochettino builds towards 2026.
Steffen is someone to keep an eye on not only through his inclusion on this month’s roster but because he is a regular starter for MLS’ Colorado Rapids. Pochettino has left the door open for MLS players in his early weeks on the job, saying in a recent interview that he values playing time more than he rates the club players compete for.
“There are many players who are in Europe and who don’t play much and who don’t compete,” Pochettino said, per CNN. “And there are other players who are in MLS or in different leagues that compete. And perhaps those players are in better shape to perform than players who perhaps don’t compete weekly.”
Pochettino’s recent comments mean a handful of players are in the conversation. The other two goalkeepers in camp – the Columbus Crew’s Patrick Schulte and Cardiff City’s Ethan Horvath – have more game time than Turner this year, while another hopeful in Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina is a starter for Barnsley. The situation means Steffen has his eyes set on the No. 1 spot with the countdown to the World Cup officially underway.
“That’s my goal, to come in here and push everyone around me,” he said. “Io lead and to use my experience to play my best football and get a chance at playing No. 1 and that’s my goal.”
